The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Cymbidium plant, botanically known as Milton Carpenter (Cymbidium Golden Elf `Sundust`.times.Cymbidium Via Ambarino `Highland`), registered with The Royal Horticultural Society in England in 1992, hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name `Everglades Gold`.
This new cultivar is the product of a crossing using the above parents by the inventor in Belle Glade, Fla. Pollination was effected on Jun. 12, 1987. The inventor's object was to produce a Cymbidium that would grow and flower freely in the warm temperature regime of South Florida. The cultivar `Everglades Gold` appeared in February 1995 as a single outstanding plant among a large seedling population of the grex at Everglades Orchids Inc., an orchid nursery owned by the applicant in Belle Glade, Fla.
Comparison testing by the inventor at his Belle Glade nursery has established the following differences between the Cymbidium `Everglades Gold` and other siblings from the same parentage:
(1) Plants of `Everglades Gold` grown faster under comparable conditions than any other seedling from the same crossing.
(2) The plant of `Everglades Gold` was among the first seedlings from the crossing to bloom with an initial inflorescence of flowers fully open on Feb. 16th, 1995 which is seven years and eight months after pollination.
(3) Flowers of `Everglades Gold` with a horizontal natural spread of 43/8" and a vertical natural spread of 41/8" are larger in both dimensions than all other seedlings from the same crossing.
(4) The intense cadmium yellow sepals and petals of `Everglades Gold` are unlike all other seedlings in the crossing.
(5) Vegetative divisions of `Everglades Gold` resist transplant shock and will continue on a six monthly flowering cycle over a wide range of cultural practices.
(6) Leaves of `Everglades Gold` are intermediate in width and length between both parents and are in the range of 7/8-1.0" diameter and 24-28" length when mature.
Asexual propagation by division and meristem tissue culture has been carried out at the laboratories of b.v. Floricultura in Heemstede, Holland. Plants of `Everglades Gold` are stable and have bloomed without any phenotypic variation being observed.